Des Moines

Gold Star Monument, Charles Henry Niehaus, 1925
This is a relief sculpture, which means it has only been sculpted on three sides: the front and sides, but not the back. A sculpture is "in the round" if it has been sculpted on every side. There are plenty of relief sculptures that we see in our daily lives. For example, run your finger over any coin, the words and images found there are relief sculptures, though very low. When a relief sculpture is low or shallow, we call it a bas (pronounced "bah") relief. Look around your school or home. Can you find any other relief sculptures? How about the words on a brand new bar of soap? Or a plaque in or around your school?